Blackpool FC Community Trust’s Walking Football team and their families, were our special guests on Saturday for the Blackpool FC and Crewe Alexandra game.
Our Walking Football side are the current EFL Regional and EFL National Champions and the team were at pitch-side at half-time during Blackpool’s 2-2 draw with Crewe. They posed for a picture with their two trophies and received a fantastic reception from the crowd in attendance at Bloomfield Road.
Blackpool FC Community Trust delivers a very successful Over 50’s Walking Football programme throughout the Blackpool and Fylde area with four sessions running weekly.
In 2014, the Trust teamed up with Age UK Blackpool, to give participants of 50+ an opportunity to take part in physical activity through the beautiful game. The sessions started running regularly in Blackpool after a very successful pilot programme.
Since then, sessions at Stanley Park are now delivered twice a week with Blackpool FC Community Trust now overseeing and driving the project forward. Due to the success, the Trust also deliver two sessions a week in partnership with Lytham Town FC and Age UK Lancashire.
In 2015, Blackpool FC Community Trust held it’s first in-house tournament between both the Blackpool and Lytham centres – with the winners going forward to represent the Trust at the EFL (then FLT) Regional Walking Football Tournament, which Blackpool went on to win.
On the 7th June 2016, the Trust’s Walking Football team attended the National Finals at St George’s and faced regional champions throughout the country. The team cruised through the group and faced tough competition in the knock-out stages, before reaching the final where they won 4-3 on penalties vs Nottingham Forest. Our Blackpool FC Community Trust were crowned EFL Walking Football National Champions which was a sensational achievement.
Inclusion Officer, Owen Coyle said, “Since the beginning of the project in 2014, Walking Football sessions have gone from strength to strength with over 200 participants engaging over this period of time. The emphasis is on inclusion and for these individuals to improve their fitness, mental wellbeing while playing the game we all love. It was a fantastic achievement to the win the EFL Regional and EFL National competitions.”
For more information on Walking Football, call us on 01253 348691
